Chapter Summaries

Chen Qing learned that the Purple Fetus had been created through a plot involving an illegitimate West Sea dragon maiden, and that the Dragon Palace had seized it. As the group set off to find it, the two Baili spellcasters were suddenly torn apart.

• Chen Qing agreed to a heart-spirit spell pact with the two Baili spellcasters, binding all three to share life and death until they escaped the Dragon Palace.
• The spellcasters explained that a woman from the Heavenly Python Palace had persuaded her neglected daughter, a dragon maiden, to bear a Purple Fetus with a newly enthroned emperor.
• They said Ao Zhen had led a force to capture the Purple Fetus and take it to the Dragon Palace, while the dragon maiden later ended up with the spellcasters.
• Chen Qing suspected Ao Zhen had concealed the Purple Fetus from Ao Xin and urged the others to move before explaining his reasoning.
• After following Chen Qing for only a few steps, the two ancient spellcasters split into countless pieces.

Chen Qing used a clone and a Dragon Sinew Silkworm Silk trap to send two ancient spellcasters into the Yin-Yang Road, where his overwhelming mental power shattered their souls. He recovered two mysterious eyeballs and persuaded the dragon maiden to work with him, leaving them to seek the West Sea Eldest Princess, Ao Zhen.

• A hidden Dragon Sinew Silkworm Silk trap shredded the two ancient spellcasters and Chen Qing's body, but another Chen Qing appeared and gathered the fragments.
• The spellcasters were sucked into the Yin-Yang Road, where Chen Qing rebounded their mental attack and turned their souls into soul crystals.
• Murong Yunji questioned Chen Qing about the unseen presence he had spoken to, and Chen Qing spotted two precious eyeballs rising from the wreckage.
• Chen Qing confronted the dragon maiden, admitted that he wanted her to gestate the Purple Fetus, and offered to help her escape and take revenge on her mother.
• The dragon maiden agreed to consider working with Chen Qing, who asked her to help locate the West Sea Eldest Princess, Ao Zhen.

As the Dragon Palace prepared to return, the Ouyang Family debated whether to submit, while island families expected humanity to become slaves again. In the West Sea Dragon Palace, Ao Zhen witnessed dragons being used for blood refinement before the dragon maiden's eye appeared before her.

• An elder told the Ouyang Family that the Dragon Palace was returning and urged them to submit, but the younger generation questioned whether its promised teachings were worth the danger.
• The elder warned that the Dragon Palace could control the weather and impose drought on those who resisted, convincing the family that they could not fight back.
• Families across the island nations prepared to serve the Dragon Palace as slave overseers, expecting common people to suffer human sacrifices once more.
• Ao Zhen watched Blood Guards refine blood essence by drawing it from the Dragon Palace's frozen high-ranking descendants.
• Ao Zhen asked the Turtle Chancellor whether the dragons still had a chance, and he said the future was impossible to divine.
• The dragon maiden's eye appeared before Ao Zhen.

Ao Zhen spoke with her long-lost younger sister and Chen Qing about using the Purple Fetus and Golden Crow Fire Jade to stop the Heavenly Ghost Octopus. Chen Qing asked Ao Zhen to cooperate by killing the Dragon King, leaving her stunned.

• The dragon maiden contacted Ao Zhen through her eyeballs and explained that a human expert had helped her reach the Dragon Palace.
• Ao Zhen learned that Chen Qing had killed Ao Xin, whose creations had helped bring the Dragon Palace to its present crisis.
• The dragon maiden said Chen Qing planned to use Golden Crow Fire Jade, powered by the Purple Fetus's jade solution, against the Heavenly Ghost Octopus.
• Chen Qing met Ao Zhen in the sisters' mental world and asked whether she would kill the Dragon King to save the Dragon Palace.

Shen Laoda used a blood-refined worm to take control of Ao Zhen while the formation began to dissipate. In the mist, Chen Qing prepared to use his stored faith to invest the newly transformed Yuchi Feihong as the Wind Gate Battle God.

• Shen Laoda infused Ao Zhen with the Blood Essence Stone, and the worm began forcing her to obey his commands.
• Yaksha reported that the formation was dissipating and dragon roars were coming from within, so Shen Laoda withdrew with Ao Zhen.
• Chen Qing told the dragon princess that Ao Zhen might still agree to help and said they first had to survive the coming wave.
• Yuchi Feihong emerged from the dragon transformation apparatus with his body twisted by the Garuda's powerful musculature, but he struggled to remain lucid.
• Chen Qing invoked his stored power of faith and decreed that Yuchi Feihong become the Wind Gate Battle God.

As the ancient sorcerers fled to plunder the Dragon Palace, Chen Qing hid with Yuchi and Murong while a true dragon’s roar shattered the palace roof. Prince Consort Fei arrived in South Sea Li Fire carrying the heads of Laowu and Xiao Mingyue, leaving Shen Laoda and Ao Zhen stunned.

• The ancient sorcerers scattered to their chosen targets instead of fighting, and Chen Qing hid with Yuchi and Murong.
• Yuchi regained clarity after his transformation, learned the significance of his divine title, and asked Chen Qing what to do; Chen Qing chose to lie low.
• A dragon’s roar shattered the Dragon Palace roof, and crimson flames poured into the sea as a true dragon attacked the Heavenly Ghost Octopus.
• Ao Zhen mistook the South Brightness Li Fire for the arrival of a South Sea dragon king breed and hoped to enlist its help against the octopus.
• The newcomer burned the two yakshas and blinded Shen Laoda with Li Fire, then revealed himself as Prince Consort Fei carrying the heads of Laowu and Xiao Mingyue.

Prince Consort Fei tried to force Ao Zhen to pledge herself to him so he could control the West Sea Dragon Palace. When Ao Zhen called on Chen Qing, Chen Qing rescued her, leaving Prince Consort Fei furious and unable to find him.

• Prince Consort Fei described how he had defeated Xiao Mingyue and the Ancient Insect, then demanded that Ao Zhen cooperate by becoming his dragon maiden.
• Ao Zhen refused to submit and called out to Chen Qing, saying she accepted his offer to cooperate.
• Prince Consort Fei shattered Ao Zhen's head with a full-strength strike, but Chen Qing's mist restored her and carried her away.
• Prince Consort Fei threatened Chen Qing and offered him power and status if he joined him, but Chen Qing mocked him and refused.
• Prince Consort Fei unleashed flames that evaporated hundreds of miles of seawater, but he could not find Chen Qing.

Chen Qing offered Ao Zhen the West Sea Divine Seal and a place as the West Sea god’s follower in exchange for her cooperation. As Tian Heng’s standoff with the jiaolong and Yaksha reached its breaking point, Yaksha suddenly felt the sea’s divine gaze upon him.

• Ao Zhen told Chen Qing that her father had tried to claim her for himself, so she had joined the allied armies at fourteen and risen to command the West Sea’s three armies to keep him at bay.
• Ao Zhen questioned how Chen Qing knew her past, then asked how he meant to cooperate with her; Chen Qing presented the West Sea Divine Seal and offered her a place as a war god under the God of the West Sea.
• Tian Heng feared that his Water God Army could not withstand the jiaolong and Yaksha guarding the Ten Thousand Jiaolong Grand Formation, and doubted he could hold out for even half a day.
• Yaksha watched Tian Heng’s forces, confident he could slaughter them, until their commander’s glance made him feel as if the sea itself were watching him, recalling his birth and the belief that every yaksha received a god’s gaze.

Tian Heng awakened as the true God of the West Sea, and the flood dragons recoiled from his newfound authority. In the Dragon Palace, Prince Consort Fei attacked Chen Qing and Ao Zhen but was intercepted by Yuchi Feihong in Garuda form, who launched a reckless assault despite being outmatched.

• Tian Heng felt the West Sea and its aquatic beings acknowledge him as their god, and the flood dragons drew back in fear.
• Prince Consort Fei sensed a change from the direction of Jiangnan, then followed a violent energy fluctuation to Ao Zhen and Chen Qing.
• Prince Consort Fei attacked Ao Zhen and Chen Qing, but a Garuda blocked his strike.
• Prince Consort Fei recognized the Garuda as Yuchi Feihong, and their clash left Yuchi more badly injured.
• Yuchi wrapped himself in wind and charged Prince Consort Fei, while Murong realized his uncontrolled power could soon destroy his body.

Yuchi Feihong fought Prince Consort Fei desperately, but Fei revealed he was an above first rank martial warrior and trapped him in flames. Yuchi’s sacrifice drew Fei’s attention long enough for the tentacled beast to attack, and its ability to shed burning flesh turned Fei’s flames against him.

• Yuchi Feihong attacked Prince Consort Fei at close range, despite his body and newly formed dragon bones breaking under the strain.
• Prince Consort Fei trapped Yuchi, revealed he was an above first rank martial warrior skilled in grappling, and taunted him about his feelings for Xiao Mingyue.
• Prince Consort Fei crushed Yuchi’s spine and burned him, but Yuchi reminded him that he had forgotten the threat overhead.
• The tentacled beast attacked Prince Consort Fei, who used Southern Brightness Li Fire to burn and repel it.
• The beast shed its burning tentacles to carry away the flames and sent the severed pieces back at Prince Consort Fei, leaving him at a loss.

Prince Consort Fei was trapped by the Heavenly Ghost Octopus, while Ao Zhen rescued Yuchi Feihong and discovered that Chen Qing had vanished. Murong Yunji followed Chen Qing’s plan as Ao Zhen led them toward her royal father.

• Prince Consort Fei failed to escape the Heavenly Ghost Octopus’s tentacles and called out that Chen Qing would be next.
• Ao Zhen rescued the gravely injured Yuchi Feihong as Murong Yunji realized Chen Qing and the crystal that had sealed him were missing.
• Murong Yunji decided to follow Chen Qing’s original plan, and Ao Zhen led her and Yaksha through the octopus’s tentacles while freezing them to slow their regeneration.
• Red Lotus Karmic Fire erupted near Prince Consort Fei, but Ao Zhen said the Heavenly Ghost Octopus would stop it by severing and abandoning the burning tentacles.
• Ao Zhen told Murong Yunji and Yaksha that they were going to find her royal father, following Chen Qing’s plan.

Prince Consort Fei was swallowed by the Heavenly Ghost Octopus and begged the palace woman for help, only to discover Xiao Mingyue had been behind the trap. Xiao Mingyue revealed that the ghost fetus Fei Yan planted had been born ten years earlier, leaving him horrified by what that meant.

• The Heavenly Ghost Octopus dragged Prince Consort Fei toward its maw, and he begged the voice inside it to save him.
• The voice ordered Prince Consort Fei to open his chest scales so it could take the Red Lotus Karmic Fire’s core.
• A tiny red insect emerged with Xiao Mingyue’s face and swallowed the core, revealing that Xiao Mingyue had been hiding inside him.
• Xiao Mingyue explained that she had known about the ghost fetus and escaped through the Ancient Insect’s blood-refining method.
• Xiao Mingyue revealed that the ghost fetus had been born ten years earlier, and Prince Consort Fei realized the implication in horror.

Xiao Mingyue revealed that Fei Yan had used their daughter as a tool for his ghost fetus rebirth, then killed him with Red Lotus Karmic Fire. As she learned of events across the seas, she discovered that Chen Qing had vanished and suspected the Duke of Song had taken him.

• Xiao Mingyue revealed that Fei Yan's daughter had been a ghost human and had carried the next ghost fetus after coupling with him.
• Xiao Mingyue burned Fei Yan to death with Red Lotus Karmic Fire and promised that Jun'er would keep the Fei surname and restore the Fei Family.
• Shen Laowu reported that Fei Yan had killed the ancient sorcerers and unsealed yakshas in the South Sea, while the Duke of Wei had transformed into a dragon and died after defending the north and helping Chen Qing's army save people.
• Xiao Mingyue and Shen Laowu concluded that the Xiang Family served the Ghost Domain and discussed the danger of letting it open.
• Xiao Mingyue asked who had taken Chen Qing, and Shen Laowu said the spatial power felt like the Duke of Song's.

Ao Zhen led Yaksha and Murong Yunji through the Dragon Palace’s forbidden abyss while explaining its imprisoned ancient monsters and its ties to humanity. After Murong Yunji challenged Ao Zhen’s claim that Chen Qing was using humanity, Ao Zhen hinted that Chen Qing might not be human like her.

• Ao Zhen admitted she could not be certain that the old Dragon King was sealed in the abyss, and Yaksha reflected on the mutual distrust between them.
• Ao Zhen showed Murong Yunji the imprisoned Heavenly Python, Outer Heaven Demon Statues, and other ancient beings, explaining that the Dragon Palace had learned many arts from humanity and kept informed about the mortal world.
• Murong Yunji praised the King of Qin, and Ao Zhen said Chen Qing was following a similar path toward human-demon coexistence.
• Murong Yunji accused Ao Zhen of being Chen Qing’s subordinate through his Divine Seal, and Ao Zhen confirmed it while arguing that Chen Qing used humanity too.
• Ao Zhen asked whether Murong Yunji really thought Chen Qing was the same kind as her, leaving Murong Yunji shocked and uneasy.

Ao Zhen found the Dragon King hiding beside the sealed demon statue and revealed that the Dragon Palace’s failsafe would revive him within a day. She had sent Chen Qing the details, but warned that their agreement would be void if he failed to arrive by noon tomorrow; the Dragon King looked forward to meeting him.

• Murong Yunji wondered whether Chen Qing was truly human as Ao Zhen led her deeper into the Dragon Palace.
• Yaksha recognized the demon statue that had once brought catastrophe to the four seas, and Murong Yunji was overwhelmed by fear when she saw it.
• Ao Zhen located her father, the Dragon King, and explained that attacking him there could trigger the mechanism sealing the demon statue.
• Ao Zhen revealed that the Dragon Palace’s failsafe would transfer the reserved elders’ dragon blood essence to the Dragon King if he did not revive within three days of the palace opening.
• Ao Zhen said she had sent Chen Qing the information and would void their agreement if he did not resolve the danger by noon tomorrow.
• The Dragon King mocked Ao Zhen’s uncertainty about Chen Qing’s abilities, then said he looked forward to meeting him.

Chen Qing discovered that the Duke of Song had impersonated Wang Ye and orchestrated the schemes that made Wang Ye’s life tragic. After learning the Duke had sacrificed Wang Ye from the start, Chen Qing vowed to make him die miserably.

• Ao Zhen and Murong wondered whether Chen Qing could still change the balance of power before the deadline.
• The Duke of Song brought Chen Qing to the East Sea while appearing as Wang Ye.
• Chen Qing recognized the Duke of Song through his use of the Evening Elephant’s Flying Star Technique.
• Chen Qing pieced together that the Duke of Song had used Ziyue, Thousand-Faced Fox, Painted Skin Mister, and Mr. Origami to conceal his plans and manipulate events.
• The Duke of Song admitted that he had known the emperor’s secret and intended to sacrifice Wang Ye.
• Chen Qing told the Duke of Song that he guaranteed the man would die a miserable death.

Chen Qing discovered that Liu Yu had located the imprisoned East Sea Dragon King and planned to use Painted Skin Mister to make a Dragon King puppet. Liu Yu revealed that he had engineered Chen Qing’s encounter with the Heavenly Ghost Octopus, leaving Chen Qing to wonder whether Liu Yu had entered the Dragon Palace long ago to arrange the scheme.

• Chen Qing recognized the frozen azure dragon as the East Sea Dragon King, whose Thousand Net Threads sustained the East Sea and enriched the Eastern Continent.
• Liu Yu explained that he had found the Dragon King and brought Painted Skin Mister, who greeted Chen Qing as his former student.
• Chen Qing realized Painted Skin Mister might use dragon materials to create a powerful puppet modeled on the Dragon King.
• Liu Yu revealed that Chen Qing’s encounter with the Heavenly Ghost Octopus had been engineered using a Flying Star seed planted in Chen Qing by Wang Ye.
• Chen Qing deduced that Liu Yu must have visited the Dragon Palace before it opened and arranged the events there long ago.

Liu Yu told Chen Qing how his encounter with A Li and an ancestral autobiography led him to follow the King of Qin instead of settling into an ordinary life. At the West Sea, Ziyue found traces of Chen Qing and concluded that he was still alive.

• After Liu Yu's father died and his mother fell ill, Liu Yu sold family possessions to buy her medicine, but returned home to find that she had died.
• Liu Yu met A Li, who could read an autobiography by his ancestor describing strange places and objects in their world.
• Liu Yu and A Li decided to search for an ancient object at Evening Elephant Mountain, and Liu Yu's choice to follow the book changed his life.
• Liu Yu told Chen Qing that he had abandoned his plan to become a wealthy landowner after recognizing the King of Qin as someone like his ancestor, and he chose to follow him.
• At the West Sea, Ziyue followed the Heavenly Ghost Octopus's trail to the place where Chen Qing had disappeared and said she knew he was not dead.

Ziyue and Xiao Mingyue entered the East Sea to pursue its power, agreeing to cooperate while watching for the Chen Household and Gu Ying. In the West Sea, Ao Zhen confronted the Dragon King over his hatred of humans and his failed plans, while the East Sea Dragon King sensed a fourth wave of outsiders arrive.

• Ziyue used the Star-Chasing Secret Technique to reopen the Flying Star passage and followed it into the East Sea.
• Xiao Mingyue and Shen Laowu followed Ziyue, deciding to prevent their rival from gaining the East Sea's forces and to retreat if danger arose.
• The West Sea Dragon King said the West Sea had escaped calamity, and Ao Zhen challenged his contempt for humans and his reliance on evil powers.
• Xiao Mingyue arrived in the East Sea and found Ziyue waiting; Ziyue proposed that they work together and divide the spoils after winning.
• Ziyue and Xiao Mingyue discussed the Chen Household's strength and identified Gu Ying as another threat in the East Sea.

After seizing the East Sea Dragon Palace, the Chen Household debated whether to claim it or retreat with their gains. Chen Baifeng agreed to his elders’ cautious plan, but suspected Liu Yu and Gu were plotting in the palace and that withdrawing would not keep the household safe.

• The Chen Household’s ancient sorcerers restrained the remaining yakshas and took control of the East Sea Dragon Palace using mechanisms they had secretly studied for generations.
• Chen Baifeng urged his elders to seize the rare opportunity and claim the palace, noting the household had transformed twelve dragon breeds, including a Dragon King Breed.
• An elder warned that the palace’s fallback formation would activate in twelve hours, drain several elders, and revive the Dragon King, so the household should gather treasures and inheritances before retreating.
• Chen Baifeng accepted the elders’ plan, while they celebrated his inheritance of the East Sea Dragon King Breed and anticipated the household becoming East Sea nobility.
• Chen Baifeng remained uneasy because he sensed traces of Liu Yu’s Flying Star and suspected Liu Yu and Gu had their own designs on the Dragon Palace.